Penarth news

Youngsters inspired to become engineers at Sully Primary School

YOUNGSTERS from Sully Primary School were given the building blocks to becoming civil engineers during a recent talk as part of National Science and Engineering week.

The Institution of Civil Engineers visited the school on Wednesday, March 19, to give a short talk on civil engineering and share some of their experiences.

Keith Jones, Director for ICE Wales Cymru, and two graduate civil engineers talked to almost 200 pupils from Sully Primary School from Year 3 to Year 6 and explained how civil engineers plan, design, build, construct, manage and shape much of the country’s infrastructure – roads, footways, bridges, water supply, buildings, sport stadiums, drainage, tunnels etc.

Keith said how delighted he was to have an opportunity of sharing knowledge about what a civil engineer does particularly in National Science and Engineering week.

Louise Bungay, a graduate engineer with Mott MacDonald based in Cardiff and this year’s ICE Wales Cymru Chairman’s Apprentice, spoke about how she first became interested in civil engineering and followed in her father’s footsteps.

She described how civil engineers are problem solvers and use mathematical skills to design and build what is around them.

Louise also mentioned that civil engineers not only design but also look after what has been built, making sure that infrastructure is kept safe.

Andrew Mitchell, also a Mott MacDonald graduate engineer in Cardiff, said how designing and building Lego models and sandcastles, combined with studying maths and science at school, inspired his career in civil engineering.

He said that civil engineers design and build models which are actually realised and constructed for people to use.

Kathryn Hart, head teacher at Sully Primary School, said the children were inspired by the talks given by the engineers and asked many relevant questions.